Railway-switch stand.



J. H. BERGER L G. T. ROSSON.

RAILWAY SWITCH STAND.

APPucATxoN FILED 1AN.12,1916.

1,1 83,7 l 6. Patented Mf1y16, 1916.

ra sans sanar anic.

JAMES H. BERGER AND GEORGE T. ROSSON, OF LAMPASAS, TEXAS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed January 12, 1916. Serial N o. 71,770.

To all ywhom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES H. BERGER and GEORGE T. RossoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Lampasas, in the county of Lampasas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switch Stands, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to switch railway tracks, and the primary object of the same is to provide means for facilitating the operation of and also for locking a switch of this class and from which the lock cannot be removed or detached, and wherein also the key cannot be removed except when the switch is fully locked, thus obviating accidents by always insuring a locked condition of the switch after operation and thereby preventing the switch from being subsequently actuated by unauthorized persons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a railway switch having a particular and novel'. form of yoke provided with means for conveniently applying a lock thereto and operating a bolt to retain a shifting lever in locked position and allowing said lever to be opened and disposed in a position for operation of the switch only by a person having a key to the lock whereby the bolt may be withdrawn from engaging relation to the operating lever.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch stand organization embodying a particular and structurally novel form of yoke carrying a key securing lock for controlling the actuation of a bolt relatively to a switch throw lever and all capable of a convenient and positive assemblage with a certainty of operation of the parts when assembled in the performance of the functions sought andto insure a safety switch stand or means for throwing a switch rail especially devised for operation only by authorized persons. l

With these and other objects and advantages in .viewthe invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a switch stand embodying the feay.turesof the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizon- Y tal sectiontaken in theplane of the line 3 is a' transverse lvertical 2&2, Fig. 1.V Fig.

portionpof the yoke and section through a open, as at 19, see Figs. 3 and 4.

stand showing the a view similar to Fig. 3

showing the throw lever in a released position.

The numeral 5 designates a base or plate of any preferred contour and dimensions andadapted to be disposed adjacent to a railway track where a switch rail is located. On this base 5 a switch stand table or head 6 of circular form is supported by legs or suitably shaped uprights 7 having opposing stops 8 at their lower ends for a purpose which will be presently explained. The table or head 6 is formed with safety notches 9 which are suitably spaced and in radial relation to the center of the table or headl 6. Extending upwardly from the base 5 between the legs or uprights 7 is a post 10 having a lower projecting arm 11 to engage the opposing stops 8, the said post 10 being rotatable and having a portion thereof at the lower end connected to the switch rail to be operated as customary in devices of this class. The post 10 continues upwardly through the center of and is rotatable in the table or head 6 and is projected above the latterwany suitable distance and is flattened or made angular in cross-section to form a target rod 12 to which any suitable target means 13 may be secured.

The principal feature of the invention is a novel form of yoke 14 rotatably mounted on the table or head 6 and comprising a lever carrying member 15 and member 16. The yoke 14 is essentially T-shaped in contour, as shown by Fig. 2, the lever carrying member 15 being integrally intersected at one side by the lock supporting .member 16. The yoke is composed of suit-able cast metal, and the lever carrying member 15 has a chamber or slot 17 opening outwardly through one extremity and having a direction in a plane at right angles to the lock carrying member 16. The chamber or slot 17 is vertically intersected by an opening 18 which is in vertical alinement with the center of the table or head 6, the bottom of the chamber or slot 17 being fully The post 10 extends upwardly through the opening 18 and through the rear part of the chamber or slot 17, and4 by this means the greater portion of this chamber or slot 17 is clear for the operation therein of parts which will be presently explained, The portion of the a lock supporting turned. either to the right or left to actuate .e the switch rail, the operation of these partsl post 10 that extends above the table or head 6 and continues into the target rod 12 passes through the lever carrying member 15 and the opening 18 intersecting theV chamber or slot 17, said chamber or slot extending fully back to the rear wall of the lever carrying member 15. The post 10 is secured to the lever carrying member 15 by means of fastenings 20 as shown, and when the yoke is shifted thel said post 10 and the target rod continuation 12 thereof will be simultaneously moved either to the right or left in accordance with the direction of movement of the yoke. The bottom of the leverl carrying member 15 of the yoke movably bears on the upper surface of the table or head 6, and the lower edge of the lock supporting member 16 is disposed above the bottom of the said lever carrying member so that the yoke will have its bearing surface relatively to the table or head 6 reduced as much as possible. The lever carrying member 15 has a shifting lever 21 of any suitable length movably mounted therein through the medium of a fulcrum bolt 22 inserted through the opposite sides of the said member 15 and extended across the chamber or slot 17 adjacent to the open end of the member 15, and in the operation of the yoke the lever 21 may be turned down into engagement with or released from the safety vnotches 9. The eX- tremity of the shifting lever 2l extending into the chamber or slot 17 is free to operate in connection with the bolt 22 by reason of the clearance of this chamber outwardly from the post 10 which sets back in the rear part of said chamber and projects upwardly through the opening 18. Through the medium of the lever 21 the yoke 14 as a whole and the post 10 with its target rod continuation 12 and the target means 13 may be being limited in opposite directions by the projecting arm 11 engaging the opposing stops 8. When the movement of the yoke and post 10 is checked by the stops 8 the lever 21 will then be directly over or in registering relation to the safety notches 9 respectively.

The lock supporting member 16 has a recess 23 opening out through one side thereof, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and when the lock 24 is mounted and secured in the recess 23 the outer face plate of the lock will be flush with the side of the member 16 nearest to the lever 21. The lock is thus fully housed and protected from the weather and may also be conveniently and readily dlsposed in operative position inthe portion of the yoke devised to receive the same, and as a consequence the locking means for the switch will always be held intact with .the yoke and in position for actuation for release or securement of the lever 21. It is proposed to use a lock having the well known features of securing and holding the key intact therewith after release -of the bolt from the lever 21 and during the time that the yoke is shifted by the lever to move a switch rail from a normal position to an open position relatively to a main track line whereby an operative is compelled to restore the switch to normal position or close the switch rail to effect a release of the key from the lock. It is also desired that the lock have an extended bolt 25 freely slidable through an opening 26 in the side or wall of the lever carrying member 15 from which the member 16 projects, and this bolt will also have the well known operation of automatically returning to a locked position when the key is released or withdrawn from the lock and after the lever 21 has been thrown down into normal position, as shown by Fig. 3. Numerous types of locks of this character have been heretofore devised and it is proposed to use any form of this class of locks that may be best adapted for the purpose. As shown, the key 27 is inserted in the side of the lock nearest the lever 21 and the keyhole of the lock is normally protected by a guard 28 which falls thereover and eX- lulces dust and dirt from the interior of the The bolt 25 of the lock 24 when normally projected into locking position extends partially across the chamber orslit 17 of the lever carrying member 15, and said bolt enters the slot or chamber in such relative position to the endof the lever 21 within the chamber or slot that movement of the lever when lowered into normal position, as shown by Fig. 3, will be prevented by engagement of the projecting bolt with the then upturned lower edge of the lever 21 in rear of the fulcrum bolt 22. While the lever is in this lowered normal position and engaged by the bolt 25 the key 27 may bev removed from the lock and the switch will then be in safe condition. An after insertion of the key 27 in the lock and a withdrawal of the bolt 25 to clear the chamber or slot 17 and the inner end of the lever 21 will permit the said lever to be elevated and disengaged from the notch 9, as shown by Fig. 4, and the yoke may then be shifted f through the actuation of the lever 21 to open the switch; and when the lever 21 registers with the remaining notch 9 it may be turned down into said notch and if desired the lever may be temporarily locked in this latter position, though under ordinary circumstances this course would notv be pursued.

After the shifting operation on the railway v track has been accomplished the lever 21 may be again raised and actuated to shift the yoke to normal position and close the switch rail and the lever `turned down into normal position and locked by the bolt 25,

I thereby permitting the key to be removed and the switch mechanism guarded against manipulation by unauthorized persons.

Among other advantages in connection with the improved lock is that though the rivets or fastenings that hold the lock proper in the member 16 may be removed, the lock cannot be withdrawn from said member in view of the fact that a securing means is provided by the projecting portion of the bolt 25 extending into the lever carrying member 15, and this projected ortion of the bolt is not exteriorly accessib e, particularly when in engagement with the lever 21, as shown by Fig. 3, and hence it will always be necessary to use a key to release the bolt and give the same proper clearance yoke may be produced at a comparatively unauthorized tampering with the lockpwill be prevented.

The lock cannot become lost as it forms practically a permanent partv of the yoke. Moreover, it will be seen that the position of the yoke on the table 6 is advantageous, particularly in View of the minimized projection of said yoke relatively to the table and from a constructional standpoint the yoke may be produced at a comparatively small cost and is also adapted to be applied to switch stands now in use without requiring any modifications of structure thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a switch of the class specified, a switch rail operating post, a horizontally disposednotched table through which said .post rotatably extends, a yoke shiftabl arranged on the table and comprising a ever carrying member having one end fully. open and the other end closed to provide a chamber, the said yoke also having a lock carrying member at right angles to and intersecting the intermediate portion of thelever carrying member whereby the chamber extends inwardly Aand outwardly beyond the 15 plane of the sides of the lock carrying member, the post projecting upwardly through -the rear portion of the chamber adjacent to the closed end of the latter and secured to the yoke, a lever having one extremity fulcrumed in the -chamber and free to move in the latter at a distance from the post, the extremity of the lever within the chamber having opposite straight edges, and a key operated lock housed in the lock carrying member and having a bolt projectable transversely With relation to the chamber to engage opposite side edges of the extremity of the lever in the chamber to hold the said 'vided With a lock carrying member at right angles to the chambered member and intersecting the latter at an intermediate polnt, a key operated lock with a 'projectable bolt housed in the said lock carrying member, the

bolt movable horizontally in relation to the chambered member and transversely across the chamber of the said member, the post projecting through the rear portion of the chamber and secured to the yoke, and a lever having a flattened extremity with straight side edges fulcrumed in the said chamber, the said edges of the lever being engaged by the bolt of the lock to .hold the lever against movement in either one of two positions.v

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing' witnesses.`

' JAMES' H. BERGER. GEORGE T. ROSSON. Witnesses:

.I. E. MORGAN,

G. TINKLE. 

